MAGA freaks out over Taylor Swift
January 30, 2024
Contrary to the narrative in right-wing media, the biggest news story of the day was not that Taylor Swift has rigged Super Bowl LVIII to help Joe Biden win reelection. I am not joking. Right-wing media was consumed with that conspiracy theory on Monday—betraying a sense of rising panic that Trump is faltering. More on that later. Let’s look at the serious stories of the day first, and then come back to learn the real reason MAGA is afraid of Taylor Swift.
President Biden issues threat to Iran-backed militias
President Biden issued the following statement in response to the deaths of three US soldiers in a drone attack by Iran-back militias:
The three American service members we lost were patriots in the highest sense. We will strive to be worthy of their honor and valor. We will carry on their commitment to fight terrorism. And have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner our choosing.
Biden faces a difficult decision. As explained in the NYTimes (accessible to all), Biden must discern whether Iran intended to escalate its proxy war or if an Iran-backed militia decided to do so on its own. Per the NYTimes,
The attack in Jordan was not fundamentally different from what American forces have seen for more than three months, except for the fact that it was more successful.
Administration officials and intelligence agencies were trying to determine Sunday whether it represented a deliberate attempt by Iran to escalate the conflict or was meant to be the same kind of limited attack its proxies have been mounting but in this case happened to actually kill Americans through luck.
One senior American official [said] the United States did not believe that Iran was intending to start a wider war with the attack in Jordan. But he cautioned that analysts were still gathering and evaluating the information available to determine whether Iran ordered a more aggressive attack or a militia group decided to do so on its own.
What President Biden does next will be consequential. Unlike his predecessor, Biden is making his decision in meetings with his advisors behind closed doors. If you have forgotten, Trump frequently telegraphed US military actions in tweets or off-hand comments to the media.
Republicans were quick to blame the escalation and deaths on President Biden’s prior measured responses to the attacks. Trump posted a statement saying, “this attack would NEVER have happened if I was president, not even a chance!” As usual, Trump is lying and it is up to us to ensure that Republicans do not succeed in promoting a false narrative.
As reported by the Times,
In fact, Iran and its proxies did attack American and allied interests during Mr. Trump’s presidency, and at one point Mr. Trump called off a retaliatory strike that he deemed excessive.
He did later order a strike that killed a top Iranian general, but when Iran responded with missile strikes that injured but did not kill American troops, Mr. Trump ordered no further action.
Biden’s response shouldn’t be a contest between the comparative militarism of Biden and Trump. But the fact is that Joe Biden has acted more decisively to protect US interests than did Trump as president. Don’t let Republicans revise history to obscure the fact that President Biden is a strong defender of US national security while Trump was not.
Campaign developments
A series of developments on Monday indicate that the Trump campaign understands that the narrative has flipped on Trump.
1. Strong economy belies Trump's predictions, leads to meltdown
During the 2020 campaign, Trump predicted the economy would crash under a Biden presidency. Instead, it has soared. Having lost the economy as an issue on which Trump can attack Biden, Trump has instead decided that the strong economy is because of him! See The Hill, Trump claims credit for record-high stock market under Biden.
In a sign of Trump's desperation, he wrote (in all caps),
THIS IS THE TRUMP STOCK MARKET BECAUSE MY POLLS AGAINST BIDEN ARE SO GOOD THAT INVESTORS ARE PROJECTING THAT I WILL WIN, AND THAT WILL DRIVE THE MARKET UP.
In a brilliant move that illustrates growing confidence, the Biden campaign responded by “thanking” Trump for “lifting up” the strong performance of the economy under President Biden. See The Hill, Biden team thanks Trump for ‘lifting up’ strong economic news.
A spokesperson for the Biden campaign said,
“Thank you, Donald for lifting up today’s strong economic news, but on this planet, Joe Biden is the president, and is the one whose policies are helping achieve historic GDP growth, a stronger than ever stock market, and real job creation after Trump tanked our economy.”
2. Nikki Haley steps up attacks on Trump by defending jury verdict, calling Trump “loser”
In a hopeful sign of more to come, Nikki Haley defended the civil jury award of $83 million against Donald Trump. See The Hill, Haley defends verdict against Trump in Carroll case: ‘I absolutely trust the jury’
Haley said,
I absolutely trust the jury. And I think that they made their decision based on the evidence. . . .
I think the American people will take him off the ballot. I think that’s the best way to go forward, is not let him play the victim. Let him play the loser. That’s what we want him to do at the end of the day.
While Haley is still hedging her bets, the fact that she is defending the jury verdict and calling Trump “a loser” is a sign of Trump's vulnerability.
3. Trump lashes out at UAW president after union endorses Biden
The United Auto Workers endorsed Joe Biden last week. In a fiery speech, UAW president Shawn Fain condemned Trump for his anti-union stance during and after his presidency. See NYTimes, Trump lashes out at U.A.W. president. Fain called Trump “a scab” during his speech endorsing Biden.
Trump attacked Shawn Fain over the weekend, urging the union to oust Fain and vote for Trump. (“Get rid of this dope & vote for DJT.”) The Biden campaign immediately released social media and press statements amplifying Fain’s description of Trump as “a scab.” The gloves are off.
4. Trumpworld freaks out over the possibility that Taylor Swift will support Biden
This story is not a joke. The NYTimes ran an article that suggested the Biden campaign was trying to recruit Taylor Swift to support Biden’s reelection effort. See NYTimes, Inside Biden’s Anti-Trump Battle Plan (and Where Taylor Swift Fits In. (Accessible to all.)
The report by the Times caused right-wing bloggers and media to lose their minds. Although the right wing was perfectly happy to have Kanye West pal around with Trump, they are convinced that the possibility of an endorsement by Taylor Swift is proof of a deep-state conspiracy involving vaccines, rigging of the Super Bowl, and a fake romance between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce (a player for the Kansas City Chiefs).
If the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory sounds delusional, it is. See op-ed by Rex Huppke in USA Today, Did liberals put Taylor Swift and pro-vaccine Travis Kelce in the Super Bowl? Yes, we did.
Huppke notes the following statements by prominent Trump supporters:
Laura Loomer, a MAGA loyalist whom Donald Trump just last year called “terrific,” posted on what used to be Twitter: “The Democrats’ Taylor Swift election interference psyop is happening in the open . . . It’s not a coincidence that current and former Biden admin officials are propping up Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. They are going to use Taylor Swift as the poster child for their pro-abortion GOTV Campaign.”
Trump supporter Mike Crispi wrote, “The NFL is totally RIGGED for the Kansas City Chiefs, Taylor Swift, Mr. Pfizer (Travis Kelce). All to spread DEMOCRAT PROPAGANDA. Calling it now: KC wins, goes to Super Bowl, Swift comes out at the halftime show and ‘endorses' Joe Biden with Kelce at midfield. It's all been an op since day one.”
The fever rose to such a pitch that Fox News host Jeannine Pirro issued a warning to Taylor Swift, saying that Swift “should not get involved in politics.” Pirro also said,
Why would someone as popular as she is alienate, and I’m not saying, you know … what’s going to be, ‘Yeah, people are going to hate her,’ but why alienate your fans and Swifties?”
See Fox News’s Pirro to Taylor Swift: ‘Don’t get involved in politics’ | The Hill
I have included the above detail to make the point that the right-wing freak-out over the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory is real. It is a sign of the right wing’s detachment from reality (thanks to Trump) and the rising sense of panic about Joe Biden’s chances of beating Trump.
Because MAGA extremists cannot accept the fact that Trump is the worst presidential candidate in US history and will likely lose, they are beginning to fantasize about scenarios that will rationalize his defeat. The fact that they believe Taylor Swift is part of a deep-state conspiracy signals their anxiety and insecurity.
No one should dismiss the enormous influence that Taylor Swift has over her fans. An endorsement would likely motivate hundreds of thousands of young voters to show up in November. And what Republicans fear most is voters who show up at the polls. Republicans win when people don’t vote. That’s the fear at the center of their freak out over Taylor Swift—that young people might be motivated to vote.
More on Governor Abbott’s refusal to remove razor wire
In yesterday’s newsletter, I wrote an article that addressed the constitutional stand-off between Texas and the federal government over the installation of razor wire by Texas at the southern border. My article focused on the loose talk about a “civil war” appearing in many media outlets.
A reader posted a comment suggesting that I hadn’t been as precise as I could have been in describing the procedural status of the situation. The reader is right. So, for those interested in the legal details of the stand-off, I recommend Judd Legum’s article in Mother Jones, Texas’ Standoff With the Border Patrol Is a Constitutional Powder Keg.
Legum explains the legal posture in detail, an explanation that makes it even clearer that there isn’t going to be a civil war between the US and Texas. Legum writes,
Notably, Texas is not yet defying the Supreme Court’s January 22 order. That order simply lifted the Fifth Circuit injunction preventing the federal government from removing the razor wire installed by Texas in Shelby Park. The Supreme Court hasn’t yet ordered Texas to do anything.
But Texas is continuing to interfere with the federal government’s access to Shelby Park, in clear violation of the Constitution and federal law.
On January 23, the Department of Homeland Security wrote a letter to Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, demanding “the ability to access the border in the Shelby Park area that is currently obstructed by Texas.”
In a January 26 response, Paxton rejected the Department of Homeland Security’s request and informed the federal government that Texas will continue “to protect its southern border against every effort by the Biden Administration to undermine the State’s constitutional right of self-defense.”
Abbott is clearly refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of federal control over the border—the dispute underlying the injunction issued by the Fifth Circuit and the Supreme Court’s lifting of the injunction. But as Legum notes, Abbott hasn’t defied a direct order of the Supreme Court. There seems little doubt that he will do so, but we are not there yet.
Concluding Thoughts.
I received an email from a long-time (now former) reader saying,
Yesterday’s newsletter sounded like I was a “particularly rabid arm of the DNC” for defending Joe Biden’s handling of the immigration crisis, and
I was “complicit” in genocide for not condemning Biden for not being more forceful in his criticisms of Netanyahu’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
Apart from those comments, the reader was very complimentary and appreciative of all my hard work in writing the newsletter. Thanks!
On the first point, I believe the reader was trying to say (inartfully, at best) that people should be free to criticize Joe Biden over anything and everything. The reader’s logic is unassailable. Americans are always free to criticize their president. The Constitution says so.
However, the question on the table is whether it is wise as a political matter for Democrats to continually pick at Biden over every disagreement nine months before the most consequential, democracy-defining moment in our nation’s history. We are in a struggle for the hearts and minds of persuadable independents and disenchanted Republicans looking for a reason to vote against Trump.
One way to convince those persuadable voters is to highlight Joe Biden’s tremendous accomplishments and his sober, good-faith management of intractable situations that defy easy answers. Another way is to point out every flaw, inconsistency, and shortcoming in Biden’s efforts to handle difficult situations but then conclude, “At least he’s better than Trump.” Which way do you think will be more likely to attract persuadable voters?
We stand at a moment in history where American democracy needs defending. Like it or not, that defense includes full-throated support for Joe Biden—who is the surrogate for democracy on the 2024 ballot. We must be patient, mature, and responsible enough to understand that—for the length of this campaign season—reserving our right to criticize every aspect of Biden’s good-faith actions is a selfish act. We have the right to engage in unbounded criticism of Biden. The question is whether doing so is a wise move that will help ensure the preservation of democracy.
I am not saying that people should refrain from trying to achieve the policy outcomes they desire. Write your representatives, donate to causes, call the White House comment line, and argue for your desired policy outcomes in social media and public statements. But don’t personalize it to Joe Biden. Don’t accuse him of acting in bad faith or being less-than-perfect or—worst of all (for some)—failing to agree with your worldview.
And don’t be an emotional and mental drain on those trying to elect Biden. If you are unhappy with Biden, that’s understandable and fair, but don’t insist that we beg you to support Biden as a way of forcing us to listen to your disagreements with him. If you are not going to vote for Biden, don’t look to us for permission or forgiveness. You will live in the world you help create on election day in November 2024—a world that will include hundreds of urgent issues not on your list of disagreements with Biden.
And don’t preface every argument with “If he doesn’t do XYZ, he will lose the youth vote” or the “Hispanic vote” or “the Muslim vote.” We know. We know he will not be able to please everyone in every decision, so please don’t beat us up with a truism that applies to every president. We have lots of work to do to reach persuadable voters. Let us get on with that work free of doomsaying from those unwilling to help elect Biden.
Trump has told us he wants to be a dictator. Believe him. Every effort we make over the next nine months must be directed at preventing a Trump victory in November 2024. Like many Democrats, I have lots of questions and doubts about how the DNC runs the party. But at this perilous moment in our history, being accused of being a “particularly rabid arm of the DNC” is a high compliment. Thank you, dear reader.
Talk to you tomorrow!
Concluding thoughts-so incredibly well said!! Biden is the surrogate for Democracy. And by the way, those who are looking for permission to vote against the long term interests of democracy will leave us and the rest of the planet in that same world on November 5th.
Someone told me yesterday that politics made them nervous and all they could do is just vote. They asked whether I thought that was enough in 2024. I told them their vote is very important, but that this moment calls for more. I told him that we are fighting for democracy in this country and for others around the world. This is our moment and Trump and the Republicans mean it. I pointed out that many are already suffering in this country-women without healthcare, LGBTQ and so many others and that this will become nationwide.
I told him not to put this in terms of “politics” which is dismissive and easy to walk away from. Instead, he should put this fight in terms of democracy and autocracy because that is what it is.
He is ready to go to work.
Excellent newsletter today, Robert! As usual, I was most moved by your Concluding Thoughts. Too many people are blinded by their reaction to a few missteps or a few misalignments with their personal views and lose sight of the big picture. Many become so exercised about one thing that they become single issue voters. They fail to realize the biggest single issue - that the Republican Party is no longer interested in or capable of protecting or advancing our interests.
The fact that President Biden occasionally makes mistakes or takes positions that may not be popular with those who otherwise support him should not be cause for concern. Mistakes are often made when taking necessary risks. Progress demands risk, and serving the greater good requires compromise, and President Biden understands that.
As I've written in several comments here and on other Substacks recently, one thing that distinguishes President Biden from the other guy is respect. President Biden has earned it while his opponent demands it. We should respect Joe Biden's commitment to doing what he believes is best for the majority of Americans, regardless of their political affiliation, and condemn the man who is committed only to what he perceives to be in his own self-interest. We need to show our respect not by blindly following President Biden, but by supporting him positively. Something as simple as using "President" as often as practical with Biden's name, and never using it and seldom using the name of the other guy is one way we can all show the difference.